FREE ACCESS: Community Thanksgiving is Friday at PBHS

All of Poplar Bluff is invited to the free, annual Community Thanksgiving dinner at Poplar Bluff High School from 5-8 p.m. Friday.

Food is provided by Chartwells, the food provider for PBHS. As in past year, JROTC students will direct traffic, the High School Jazz Band is providing entertainment and PBHS Student Council is providing an activity booth for children. StuCo’s booth will also raise money for Haven House.

This year’s menu is turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, mixed veggies, dinner rolls and made-from-scratch chocolate cake.

Dixie Harden, Chartwells senior director of dining services in the Poplar Bluff School District, looks forward to the banquet every year.

“This is geared towards low-income families. We have a high free-reduced (meal) rate in our community. And some people may not have the opportunity to go to somebody’s house for Thanksgiving, or to be able to prepare Thanksgiving, or just to have company for Thanksgiving,” she said.

She also enjoys seeing others have “a good meal and good conversation.”

“That’s my reason for wanting to do it, to give to those that may not have,” she said. “And even if they have, a lot of people are alone on the holiday,” she said.

PBHS is located at 3209 Oak Grove Road. More information about the school district and upcoming events is available at poplarbluffschools.net.